Bobbin retainer attachment for a thread carrying spool

ABSTRACT

The bobbin retainer attachment for a thread carrying spool has a retainer mounted on the end of the spool of thread by retainer clamping fingers which attach on to the spool and extend in the direction of axis of the spool. The retainer has a bobbin storage housing connecting with the fingers and held on the end of the spool by the fingers with the open end of the housing abutting against the end wall of the spool to hold a bobbin therein. The fingers extend from the periphery of the retainer and clamp around the peripheral enlarged end edges of the spool. Also an annular clamping finger can extend from the central portion of the housing and through the bobbin and into and against the bore of the spool in wedging fashion.

United States Patent 1191 Olney 1 11- 3,811,608 1451 May 21, 1974 BOBBIN RETAINER ATTACHMENT FOR A THREAD CARRYING SPOOL Primary Examiner-George H. Krizmanich Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard J. Myers [5 7] ABSTRACT The bobbin retainer attachment for a thread carrying spool has a retainer mounted on the end of the spool of thread by retainer clamping fingers which attach on to the spool and extend in the direction of axis of the spool. The retainer has a bobbin'storage housing connecting with the fingers and held on the end of the spool by the fingers with the open end of the housing abutting against the end wall of the spool to hold a bobbin therein. The fingers extend from the periphery of the retainer and clamp around the peripheral enlarged end edges of the spool. Also an annular clamp ing finger can extend from the central portion of the housing and through the bobbin and into and against the bore of the spool in wedging fashion.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures [76] Inventor: Henry L. Olney; 3745 N/Olcott,

Chicago, Ill. 60634 [22] Filed: Mai. 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 342,172

[52] U.S. Cl. 223/106 [51] Int. Cl ..A41h 31/00 [58] Field of Search.. 223/106, 107, 108, 109; 242/118.41

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,862,6l0 12/1958 Morin 242/11s.41 1,742,696 1/1930 Eddy 223/109 R 3,259,335 7/1966 Rosen 223/107 x 1,402,066 1/1922 Herrick 223/107 IO I2 24 l BOBBIN RETAINER ATTACHMENT FOR A THREAD CARRYING SPOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sewing kits and now particularly relates a combined sewing machine bobbin and sewing machine spool of thread holder arrangement.

2. Description of the Prior Art Heretofore it has been known to provide for an attachment whereby needle and pins and a thimble holder and thread cutter have been assembled with a spool of thread or darning cotton for immediate use, so that the delay incident to the gathering of these separate accessories when needed may be avoided. The attachment device could be removed from the spool of thread so that the spool of thread may be used on a sewing machine. See for instance US. Pat. Nos. 2,176,299 and 2,579,307. However the prior artdoes not solve the problem of combining a bobbin of a sewing machine with its associated spool thread for the sewing machine in a manner protective of the bobbin with thread and where the bobbin can not become readily separated from the spool of thread and yet the bobbin may be separated from the spool when it becomes necessary to use the bobbin with its thread and the spool of thread in the sewing machine. It is this that the invention accomplishes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improvement directed to the attachment of a sewing machine bobbin to a spool of thread to be used in conjunction with that bobbin on the sewing machine at the same time. Such an arrangement permits the keeping together of a similar or same type of thread in color, texture, or whatever desired when using the sewing machine on cloth or a garment or the like.

A particular advantage ofthe invention resides in the fact that structure is provided which releasably clutches the bobbin and thread to the spool of thread and when the bobbin is protectively encased on the end of the spool.

These and other objects and advantages will become I apparent from reference to the following description, appended claims and attached drawings.

- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is an elevational view of the combined spool of thread and bobbin and thread held by the retainer attachment arrangement of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the attachment arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the attachment arrangement;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of another bobbin and spool retainer attachment;

FIG. 6 is an elevational sectional view of the retainer attachment arrangement of FIG. 5 holding the spool and bobbin together; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the retainer attachment arrangement as shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference now to the drawings and in particular with reference to FIGS. 1-4 there is shown a bobbin retainer attachment device 2 for retaining and holding a bobbin 4 and associated thread 5 to a spool 6 of thread 8. The bobbin is defined by the conventional end flanges 10 extending beyond its central drum portion 12 around which is wrapped the thread 5. The bobbin has a central bore 14 through the reel part 12. The spool 6 is also defined by a central drum or reel 16 having a central bore 18 therethrough and the ends 20 of the spool are provided with the standard enlarged head portions of inwardly tapered flanges 22.

The retainer attachment device 2 is provided an outer tapered annular shell or cap 24 of a flexible plastic material which has an outer sloped portion 26 and a lower free end vertical portion 28 provided with a spool flange gripping end portion or knob 30 with an inner slope surface 32 to correspond to the slope of the flange end 22 of the spool. The outer annular shell or cup 24 has its lower end 28 extend below the central cylindrical retainer portion or rim 34 which carries or stores the reel. The shell or flange 24 being resilient and stretchable about the spool annular flange 22 acts as a clamp or annular finger clasp about the spool 6 as the ends or knobs 30, totaling four in all, extend below the annular flange of the upper and lower flange portions 26 and 28. Consequently, the central housing or annular storage chamber 36, defined by the cylindrical portion 34 and the top wall 38 of the device 2, confines the bobbin 4 atop the end 20 of the spool while the fingers 30 extending below the end of the clamp or .shell 24 releasably clutchingly grip the spool annular flange 24. The central housing portion 34 in conjunction with the end 20 of the spool 6 completely encases the bobbin 4 as the flanged shell 24 of the attaching device 2 clamps and surrounds the flanged end 22 of the spool 6.

With reference now to FIGS. 5-7, there is shown another form of bobbin retainer attachment device 40 mounted on the end 20 the spool 6 and encasing a bobbin 4 thereon. The device 40 includes a top wall 42 connecting with an outer cylindrical wall or 'rim 44 to define an outer cover 45 for the bobbin 4. Extending downwardly from the inside of the roof or top 42 is a vertically extending clamp or clutch arrangement 46 in the form of a flexible tube or spindle 47 that extends in the flexed condition through the bore 14 of the bobbin 4. The two fingers or elongated clutch elements 48 extend from the tube 47 into the bore 18 in flexed condition and terminate in enlarged triangular shaped protuberances or knobs 50, 50. The tube 47 extends slightly below the bottom of the annular outer skirt 44 and defines therewith a bobbin confining space withv the upper end of the tube 47 forming an opening 52 in the roof 42.

Thus, what is provided by the foregoing described novel retaining and attaching snap on and off spool arrangement 2 or 40 is a means for storing the bobbin in a protective encasement that is releasably easily snapped on a spool to neatly and compactly store therewith the same size and color threads for bobbin nd spool and when desired the retainer attachment device is removed and the thread carrying bobbin is ready for use below the thread carrying spool in the sewing machine in the conventional manner without the necessity of hunting for the spool and bobbin or thread therefor.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A bobbin retainer attachment device for coupling together a bobbin and a spool of thread comprising:

spool clasping downwardly extending finger means adapted to releasably clasp in a clutching manner an associated spool,

a bobbin storage housing connecting with the finger means and having an open end adapted to be mounted on the end of a spool and held on the spool by the finger means attendant to engaging a bobbin stored therein,

the finger means having its lower end portions adapted to co-act with the surfaces of the spool to provide sufficient clamping action for holding of the bobbin storage housing thereagainst,

said housing including a top wall and a vertical rim defining said open end and adapted to store a bobbin and its thread therein,

said attachment device including an outer annular cap connecting with the top wall and surrounding the annular rim in spaced relation and being provided with said downwardly extending finger means adapted to releasably clutch about the end of a spool, and

the lower extremity of said rim extending above the lower end portions of the finger means and the tinger means being spaced outwardly of the rim.

2. The invention according to claim 1, and

said cap including a diverging cone-shaped flange portion attached to the inner end of said housing being of cylindrical shape and having a downwardly depending generally vertically extending annular rim flange portion connecting with the outer end of said cone-shaped portion,

4 said rim flange portion carrying said finger means. 3. The invention according to claim 1, and said finger means including a plurality of peripherally spaced finger elements depending from the lower end of said cap. 4. A bobbin retainer attachement device for coupling together a bobbin and a spool of thread comprising:

spool clasping downwardly extending finger means adapted to releasably clasp in a clutching manner an associated spool,

a bobbin storage housing connecting with the finger means and having an open end adapted to be mounted on the end of a spool and held on the spool by the finger means attendant to engaging a bobbin stored therein,

the finger means having its lower end portions adapted to co-act with the surfaces of the spool to provide sufficient clamping action for holding the bobbin storage housing thereagainst,

said housing having a vertically extending annular rim adapted for abutting engagement with the top end of a spool,

said housing having its open end adapted to face said top of the spool,

said housing including a top portion,

a spindle depending from said top portion and adapted to receive a bobbin and asscoiated thread therearound and within said housing rim,

said finger means depending from the lower end of the spindle and extending below said rim and adapted for being received within the associated bore of the associated spool,

said finger means being adapted to engage within the associated spool bore in clamped clutching conditron.

5. The invention according to claim 4, and

said finger means including flexible finger elements being flexed against the associated bore of an associated spool.

6. The invention according to claim 5, and

said finger elements each being provided with an enlarged protuberance at its outer end and providing clutching action against the associated spool bore. 

1. A bobbin retainer attachment device for coupling together a bobbin and a spool of thread compriSing: spool clasping downwardly extending finger means adapted to releasably clasp in a clutching manner an associated spool, a bobbin storage housing connecting with the finger means and having an open end adapted to be mounted on the end of a spool and held on the spool by the finger means attendant to engaging a bobbin stored therein, the finger means having its lower end portions adapted to co-act with the surfaces of the spool to provide sufficient clamping action for holding of the bobbin storage housing thereagainst, said housing including a top wall and a vertical rim defining said open end and adapted to store a bobbin and its thread therein, said attachment device including an outer annular cap connecting with the top wall and surrounding the annular rim in spaced relation and being provided with said downwardly extending finger means adapted to releasably clutch about the end of a spool, and the lower extremity of said rim extending above the lower end portions of the finger means and the finger means being spaced outwardly of the rim.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, and said cap including a diverging cone-shaped flange portion attached to the inner end of said housing being of cylindrical shape and having a downwardly depending generally vertically extending annular rim flange portion connecting with the outer end of said cone-shaped portion, said rim flange portion carrying said finger means.
 3. The invention according to claim 1, and said finger means including a plurality of peripherally spaced finger elements depending from the lower end of said cap.
 4. A bobbin retainer attachement device for coupling together a bobbin and a spool of thread comprising: spool clasping downwardly extending finger means adapted to releasably clasp in a clutching manner an associated spool, a bobbin storage housing connecting with the finger means and having an open end adapted to be mounted on the end of a spool and held on the spool by the finger means attendant to engaging a bobbin stored therein, the finger means having its lower end portions adapted to co-act with the surfaces of the spool to provide sufficient clamping action for holding the bobbin storage housing thereagainst, said housing having a vertically extending annular rim adapted for abutting engagement with the top end of a spool, said housing having its open end adapted to face said top of the spool, said housing including a top portion, a spindle depending from said top portion and adapted to receive a bobbin and asscoiated thread therearound and within said housing rim, said finger means depending from the lower end of the spindle and extending below said rim and adapted for being received within the associated bore of the associated spool, said finger means being adapted to engage within the associated spool bore in clamped clutching condition.
 5. The invention according to claim 4, and said finger means including flexible finger elements being flexed against the associated bore of an associated spool.
 6. The invention according to claim 5, and said finger elements each being provided with an enlarged protuberance at its outer end and providing clutching action against the associated spool bore. 